Hinged card



vpril 2l, 1936. A. A. AlNswoRTH HINGED yCARD Filed Nov. 25, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet l pril 2l, i936.

Ai A. AlNswoR-rH HINGED CARD Filed Nov. 25, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 pE'Zl, 1936. A. A. AlNswoRTH HINGED CARD 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed NOV. 25, 1953 QZ. %Q

adj? INVENTOR BY WW? ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 2l, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

The invention relates to the art of filing cards, photographs or other comparatively stiffY articles, and as to many of its features is an improvement on the inventions covered by my prior Patents Nos. 1,461,570, dated July 10, 1923, and 1,862,450, dated June 7, 1932. n

In common with my Patent No. 1,862,450, I prefer to employ a backing or folder of comparatively stii material having one or more strips of tough flexible material secured to the backing and having flexible hinged tongues or other means for adhesively retaining the articles to be filed. Each of the strips of iiexible material may carry a battery of hinges for mounting a plurality of cards, or, if desired, individual hinges for eachlcard may be provided, preferably arranged in vertical rows.

I have found that when cards, photographs or other relatively stiff articles are mounted in the manner described in my prior patents, there is a tendency for the edges of such cards, etc. to catch or buckle as they are turned back on their hinges. l

One object of the present invention isaccordingly to provide relatively stiff cards which are especially adapted for use with my filing system and which may be readily turned over onthe relatively Viiexible bases to which they are attached Without buckling or catching.

`It is sometimes desirable in mounting photographs, samples, cards and the like to provide means whereby they mayn be removed from the le and replaced when desired, or replaced by new samples, cards, photographs, etc. Therefore, according to its preferred embodiment, my invention contemplates the use of major or backing cards or the like to which minor cards, samples or the like may be detachably secured,the major cards being secured within the folder by means of the flexible hinges.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings setting forth illustrative embodiments ofthe invention.

' In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is: a View of the front or inside face of a backing or folder having major cards or slips hingedly secured thereto by means of gummed strips, and minor slips or cards removably attached to the major slips;

Fig. 2 is a lengthwise section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Y y

Fig'. 3 is a fragmentary section on an enlarged scale showing a. portion of Fig. 2 and indicating the manner of attaching the major cards;

Fig. 4 is a rear view of thel gummed strip forming one element of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing a major card for attachment to a suitable backing, the card having a minor card attached thereto and being provided with projections and cut-away portions on' the filing edge for preventing buckling in turning th card; 1

Fig. 6 shows a card wherein the projections are gummed;

Fig. y'7 shows a modified card in which separate gummed members are applied to themajor card to facilitate attachment to the flexible tabs;

Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view showing one of the gummed members applied to the card;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one of the gummed members; Y` Y Fig. 10 shows a modied form of major card provided with cut-away portions to facilitate mount ing of the minor card; i

Fig. l1 shows a minor card adapted for attachment to the major card illustrated in Fig. 10 in the manner shown in Fig. 13; Fig. 12 shows an open album on the pages of which the assembled major and minor cards of Fig. 13 are shown mounted by means of a battery of the separate hinges shown inFig. 14;

Fig. 13 shows the major and minorcards of Figs. 10 and 11 in assembled position, and.

Fig. 14 is a detail view showing a flexible gummed strip provided with a plurality of tongues, and adapted to serve as a hinge for one or more cards to be mounted on a backing.

According to the preferred embodiment ofmy invention, a suitable backing I0 (Figs. 1, 23, and 12) is employed composed of comparatively stiff material which may constitute one or both covers of an album or other filing folder, and to the backing are adhesively secured one or more strips of n flexible material having gummed portions accessible for mounting one` or more bills, slips, cards, photographs, or other articles thereon, in accordance with the teaching of my prior Patent No. 1,862,450. If desired, the strips of flexible material I I may be provided with batteries of flexible hinged tongues I 2 for mounting the cards, etc., I3 in overlapping order, such tongues being formed in rows in a single strip, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, wherein two parallel rows of incisions are formed in the strip II. Obviously any number of strips may be employed, each adapted for mounting any desired number of cards, etc., according to the requirements of each individual case. If desired, ilexible tongues I2 may be fo-rmed directly in the backing I0 without the use of the strip II.

As shown in Fig. 12, the backing I0 is hinged along the line .ic-113, and is provided with vertical and horizontal guide lines such as are shown in my Patent No. 1,862,450, which insure the proper locating of iiexible strips IIa (shown in detail in Fig. 14), each carrying two or more tongues or hinges I2, each strip being primarily intended for mounting a single card, though obviously three smaller cards, bills or the like may be mounted by the use of the three tongues I2. In mounting the strips IIa on the backing I0, the gummed portion of the body IIb of the strip only is secured to the backing, leaving the gummed under portion of the tongues accessible for the mounting of cards, photographs, etc. When a number of the individual flexible strips with cards mounted thereon are assembled in vertical alignment, as indicated in Fig. 12, the composite album is substantially identical vwith that illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, the rindividual strips being contiguous to each other and forming a single strip provided with batteries of gummed tongues, each set of tongues being adapted to carry one or more cards I3, which cards in the assembly are arranged in overlappingorder` The individual hinging strips with the tongues carried thereby may be readily manufactured by'rst forming a single gummed strip similar to that shown in Fig. i with tongues gummed on one side formed by incisions made through the strip, and then cutting the composite strip into the desirednumber'of individual strips. In such case, however, the tongues cut in the initial composite strip should be spaced somewhat farther apart in thevertical rows in order to provide body portions for the individual strips" cut therefrom. As shown on the left-hand leaf of the backing in Fig. 12, the individual strips are mounted with the'points of the tongues downward and the cards are-initially mounted from the-lower side of the backing, whereas on the right-hand leaf of the album'the strips are initially mounted with the-tongues pointing upwardly, in Ywhich case'the'cards are mounted from above and are-then reversed together with the hinged tongues.

Slips, cards, photographs andthe'like I3 are adapted to be secured tothe tongues I2 in overlapping order. Eachof the underlying cards extends beyond the card above it and this eXtension provides space for identification ofthe card or slip. In orderto prevent buckling of the cards I3 Vin turning the same on theirhinges provided by the tongues I2, the edge of the card to be. secured to the tongues is providedwith cut-away portions leaving projections I4 corresponding in number to the number of rows of tongues I2. The purpose of this arrangement is to prevent the card or slip from buckling or catching during turning when the card orslip isffiled snugly .into the tongues for proper alignment of the By cutting away the edge of thecard cards. intermediate the projections I4, too close filing is prevented and friction in yturning' the leaves is avoided entirely.

In securing the cards I3 to the tongues I2, either the tongues may be gummed as indicated in Figs. 1 and ll, or the cards may be provided with gummed portions corresponding with the tongues, in which case it is not necessary to provide adhesive on the tongues.

In Fig. 6 cards are shown having adhesive I5 applied directly thereto, which, it will vbe noted, covers the projections I4. In;Fig. '7 acardftis shown in .which` triangular membersf4 I 6. .having adhesive on both sides thereof are attached to the card. Obviously the cards may be filed with either the long side or the short side uppermost without departing from my invention.

' As shown in'Fig. 1 the major cards I3 are provided at their upper portions and at the sides with thumb nail slots II under which may be removably mounted minor cards I8, which may be photographs, papers, samples of linens, silks, etc. The mounting is such that the minor cards, etc. may be taken out at will and others put in their places. This arrangement is much less ex- -pensive than where the samples are permanently fastened under the gummed tabs or hinges I2, thereby necessitating a new ling folder or de- VCB Whenever Changes are IleCeSSSJy.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. l, the thumb nail slots are omitted at the bottom offthe card I3, thus permitting the minor card to be slid lengthwise and removed. In the embodiment of the invention disclosed in Fig. 5, the slots are provided on all four sides of the card, thus providing a more permanent mounting.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 7, the major card I3 is intended as a sample carrier, and is provided with a plurality of apertures I9, While the minor card I8 is provided with projecting members 2i) which extend throughV` slots 2l in the major cards and show through the apertures I9.

Upon the projections suitable designations such as dates, prices, costs, or other vital data may be `printed or written so that this information will'bereadily visible through the apertures IS. The'reference numeral 22 denotes a sample of goods-,'or'the like, in reference to which the Vdesignations appearing on the members 20 have a vital bearing.

In'the embodiment'of the invention disclosed inFi'gs. 10, 11, 12, and 13, thel major^card"|3 is providedwith especiallyA form-edcut-away portions 25, near the-top and somewhat similar but preferably 4-larger cut-away'portions 26, 26 near the `bottom to facilitate mounting-ofthe minor card I 8, much more readily than in the embodiments of the invention `heretofore h disclosed. 'I'hese peculiarlyshaped cut-away portions 25 land'2I of cardfl3Y coact'to automatically force the card I8 down to the points ofthe cutawayl portions-thereby bringing the lower edge of the cardV I8 exactly even with the-loweredge of card lI3, which is importantin'V the 'mounting of `such cards, so that when mountedthere will be visiblea uniform portion of all cards so mounted, as shown inthe drawings. This visible portion maybe wide or narrow'in Yaccordance with the necessity for the visible space on the bottom of veach mounted card I8 and such variations of Widths of the visible space are regulated by the positionsof the cut-away portions of card I3.

Those portions of the cut-away parts 26'of card I3.designated 28, 28 and 29, 29,`being.cut onanincline, force the card I8 down to its proper alignment with the bottom of card I 3 andwill not allow.y it to gofarther than this exact alignment.

This method of mounting the minor card I8 on the .major card I3 is more easily accomplished than in other embodiments of the invention, due to the fact-.that the cut-awayportions. 25 and 26 of card I 3permit the cornerso-f card'IB to be easily engaged in such cut-away: portions.

CardI3, being :permanently mounted in the hinged backing I0. formsthe .desired vehicle.. to

carry card I8 in true alignment in an eicient manner, and at the same time permits of the re'- moval of card I3 at any time or for any purpose, and the insertion in the same card I3 of a new card I8.

Card I8, in order to flt properly into the cutaway portions 26, 26 of card I3, is also cut away as shown in two places 2'I, 21. These portions 21, 21, when engaged in the cut-away portions 26, 26 of card I3, with the corners 30, 30 of the card I8 also properly engaged in the cut-away portions 25, 25 of card I3, automatically bring the bottom line 3l of card I8 into perfect alignment with the bottom line 32 of card I3.

It is thus a part cfmy invention that the major card I3, as shown, forms an efficient and easily engaged carrier for card I8, which is also easily removed or exchanged for a new card or a card carrying different data. l

Various embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for the purpose of illustration, but it will be understood that in each embodiment herein disclosed base cards are permanently mounted on a backing in such a manner as to swing freely about specially constructed hinges, while secondary cards may be quickly and easily mounted in the base cards and firmly held in that position until it'becomesnecessary for their removal which must also be accomplished with ease and quickness. It will be further understood that the various individual features of novelty described in conjunction with the broad combination likewise form part of my invention.

What I claim is:

l. A filing device comprising a backing having a plurality of relatively ilexible holding tabs, and a relatively stiff card adapted to be secured to said tabs and having means inserted snugly into the roots of said tabs for preventing buckling between the card and backing when the same is turned over.

2. A device as set forth in claim l, wherein the ling edge of the card is cut away except for projections `corresponding in number and location with the leaf holding tabs.

3. In a device of the character described, a relatively stiff filing card having a plurality of projections on the lirg edge with intermediate cutaway portions, the projections being gummed for attachment to suitable relatively flexible leaf holding tabs which serve as hinges when the card is turned over.

4. A filing device comprising a backing having relatively flexible leaf-holding tabs, a relatively stiff leaf or card adapted to be secured to said tabs and having means for preventing buckling when the card is turned over, said means comprising projections on the ling edge of the card for engagement with each of the card holding tabs at the bases thereof, said cards having cutaway portions between said tabs and projections being adhesively secured together.

5. A filing device as set forth in claim 1, Wherein the card is provided with gummed projections corresponding in number and location with the leaf holding tongues, the intermediate portions of the ling edge being cut away.

6. A filing device comprising a stiff backing, a

strip of tough flexible material gummed thereon having projecting tabs accessible for ling purposes, and a relatively stiff leaf or card secured snugly in the angle between said backing and said tabs, the major portion of the ling edge of which is spaced away from the backing to prevent buckling between the card and backing as the card is turned over, with the ilexible tabs serving as hinges.

ALBERT A. AINSWORTH. 

